


My Little Flower

by ghostgirl19



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hades and Persephone AU, no kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-02-16 05:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18685528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostgirl19/pseuds/ghostgirl19
Summary: All her life, Marinette had only known her mother's guidance. The world is dangerous, never leave the meadow, and especially don't approach a man. Men were cunning, sneaky, despicable creatures who would stop at nothing to fulfill their own selfish desires.But then a god comes to her one day, and he doesn't seem to be any of these things. He gives her a choice. Get to know him and prove her mother wrong, or listen to her mother's warnings and cast him out of her life forever?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's a Greek AU day for Marichat May, and although this isn't Marichat, I posted this on tumblr anyway so I thought I should post it here too. I don't know when the entire story will be published, so this will remain finished as of now. Still, I hope you enjoy!

Her name was Marinette, and she was the goddess of spring and good fortune.

Adrien had no idea she even existed before he happened upon her during a walk with his friend Nino, the god of music and protection. Nino had been ecstatic, for Adrien was rarely ever available due to his duties as King of the Underworld, and so he jumped at the chance to spend time with him and discuss all that he had been up to thus far.

He was in the middle of telling Adrien how he was trying to pursue Alya, the goddess of curiosity and messenger of the gods, when he had suddenly stopped at the entrance to a meadow.

“Uh oh,” he uttered, his eyes going wide as he started to crane his neck around.

“What is it?” Adrien asked, concerned yet confused about this supposed danger. They were immortal gods, so there really wasn’t anything that could hurt them, except for his cataclysm power. So, what was the problem?

“This is Sabine’s meadow,” he replied, slightly calmer though still on edge. He looked like he expected something to fly out of the sky and attack them or something.

“Sabine,” Adrien repeated pensively, trying to attach a face to the name. It sounded familiar…

“Sabine, goddess of the harvest,” Nino supplied. “She lives in that cottage over there.”

He raised his hand to point, and when Adrien squinted he could make out a tiny and modest cottage in the distance…

…along with a person-shaped blur quickly running toward them.

Nino cursed in a panic.

“Hide!”

Bewildered of what was happening, Adrien didn’t question Nino’s order and followed through with the command, choosing to hide behind a tree. As they stood with the trees at the edge of the forest, they soon observed a young woman running to the middle of the meadow and sitting down in the lush grass and blooming flowers.

Adrien’s breath caught in his throat at the enchanting sight.

She was beautiful, beyond lovely and exquisite. She had hair as dark as coal that gently blew in the breeze, silky strands that he longed to touch. Two tendrils of such winsome hair framed a divine face, with eyes that sparkled and shined like the heavens above. Full, pearl pink lips were stretched back to reveal a smile as bright as the stars.

She reached down to pluck a flower, her slender fingers toying with the petals as she brought it up to her nose for a delicate sniff.

Adrien craved nothing more than to take that hand and press his lips against the pale, undoubtedly soft skin. He would plant kisses all over her hand, over her palm and the pads of her fingertips, worshipping her with his lips. And then he would continue up along her arm, until he would reach the thin sleeve of her chiton, which he would then pull aside with the most featherlight touch. Slowly, his fingers would lightly trail over the newly bared shoulder, sure to induce a pleasured shiver from the mesmerizing goddess. His lips would follow in his fingers’ wake, up along the milky skin, stopping once every so often to place a lingering kiss. Her head would tilt to the side, eyes fluttering shut as he drew closer to her neck, where he would then-

“Adrien?” Nino asked, bemused by his friend’s unwavering stare on the unsuspecting goddess in front of them.

Heart hammering in his chest, and without taking his eyes off her, he spoke in a breathless whisper, “who is she?”

“That’s Marinette, goddess of spring and good fortune. But why-?”

Nino trailed off when he finally took notice of his fellow god’s awestruck expression and flushed cheeks.

“Oh no,” he lamented in a tortured moan. “Adrien, _no_!”

He grabbed his friend by the shoulders and spun him around, so he faced him. Adrien blinked, thoroughly jarred from his fantasy.

“What is it?” he snapped, annoyed that Nino forcibly drew him out of his admiring of the immortal maiden. With a sinking feeling, Nino couldn’t remember a time his friend had ever looked at him so crossly before.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” he hissed. “And I want to let you know before you get in over your head that you can’t be with Marinette.”

“I thought you were interested in Alya!”  

“I am!” he quickly confirmed, desperate to get Adrien to understand the real problem. “That’s not the reason why you can’t have her. Sabine is insanely overprotective, to the point where her daughter isn’t even allowed to look at a man besides her own father. She wants her to never be tainted by ‘men’s vile ways’.”

“I’m not vile!” Adrien protested in an offended splutter, although a small voice inside of him disagreed due to the sensual daydream he had of her at first glance. Even so, he wouldn’t just use Marinette and toss her like so many other men might be inclined to do. He would cherish her, treat her like royalty.

Which she technically would be, if she ever became his consort…

“You’re a man, so that in turn makes you vile in Sabine’s eyes,” Nino argued bitterly. “Marinette is untouchable.”

“But maybe if I just approach Sabine and talk to her,” Adrien tried to reason, but stopped when Nino resolutely shook his head.

“You’re not the first to have tried that, and they all failed. Listen, bud, forget about Marinette. I’m sorry but it’s just not going to happen.”

Adrien turned his head to look back at the black-haired beauty, who was currently taking the petals off various flowers to magically infuse them in the skirt of her chiton. Her forehead was adorably crinkled, her cerulean eyes narrowed in concentration with her tongue poking out of her mouth as she worked, ever so oblivious to the pining god gazing after her.

He pursed his lips in thought, and all too soon his eyes seemed to flash, an idea beginning to formulate in his mind.

He would pursue Marinette (providing she accepted and welcomed his advances, of course) and her mother would be none the wiser.

“Adrien,” Nino spoke, nervous because of his friend’s far-off, calculating stare. “It’s useless. Please, don’t do anything reckless.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘reckless’,” he replied slyly, a grin starting to curve his lips. “I like to call it, ‘taking a chance’.”

“Adrien,” Nino repeated. He raised his hands in a halting gesture. “Sabine will give you more pain than ten of your cataclysms combined if you go near her daughter.”

Adrien looked back in Marinette’s direction. He nodded once.

“She’s worth it.”

“You’re a fool,” Nino grumbled, shaking his head. “A damned, lovesick fool.”

“Say, don’t you have a goddess to go serenade?” Adrien questioned mischievously, both teasing and indirectly telling him to leave so he could make his move.

Nino sighed, taking the hint and ignoring the taunting remark.

“Good luck,” he bade before taking off into the skies above to find Alya. He didn’t want to stick around for the aftermath in case Adrien was caught.

* * *

Marinette smiled, finally done decorating her skirt with the petals of the many flowers around her. With a wave of her hand she created new ones that instantly blossomed under the sun’s warm rays.

The young goddess leaned back on her palms, her head tilting up towards the sky. She closed her eyes, a sigh of bliss escaping past her mouth.

She loved days like this, being surrounded by flowers with the sun warming her. There was nothing better…at least, she thought so, anyway.

Her mother forbade her from exploring the world around her, content to keep her daughter confined to the meadow and cottage. Despite this, Marinette loved her mother, even if she may have been overprotective. But that was just because of all the terrible things in the world that could hurt her, as Sabine had told her many times. If she stayed here, nothing would harm her.

Here, she was safe.

Alya sometimes visited, telling her stories of the world outside the meadow. It sounded fun, yes, but her mind was always quick to conjure her mother’s warnings of the dangers out there. Men were especially dangerous, as she has been told many times.

Regardless, Alya disclosed to Marinette that she was currently accepting romantic advances from one of their fellow gods. Nino, his name was. Marinette was surprised that Alya could like a man, since her mother always portrayed them as greedy, horrid creatures, but she didn’t voice her thoughts on the matter. Her friend had looked so happy, while cunning too as she discussed numerous ways of…of…?

What was that word, again?

_Se…Sed…_

Her lips pressed into a line as she concentrated on recalling that word.

_Ah, yes!_

_Seducing_. Alya was thinking of ways to _seduce_ Nino, whatever that meant.

Nonetheless, she hoped Alya would succeed in her endeavors.

Suddenly she heard a series of slow, quiet footfalls almost muted by the grass, effectively throwing her out of her thoughts.

Marinette’s eyes opened. Her head snapped forward to see what caused the noise. What she saw made her eyes widen in shock and her breath to hitch.

It looked like a man…she was sure it was a man. It didn’t have long hair and it lacked visible breasts, which is what women like herself possessed. It kind of resembled her father, with just a different build and looks.

He (yes, she was sure it was a man) was clothed in a rich, black himation, that contrasted heavily with his sunny blond hair that sat in tasteful piles atop his head. He possessed green eyes that reminded her of the fresh grass after a rainy day. His face looked particularly fine, with a strong jawline and full lips that were pulled up in a small smile.

He was handsome, very much so, of that she was certain. She was confident he was the most handsome man of all, despite having never seen one before except for her father.

However, that didn’t stop her from being frightened and cautious.

“Who are you?” she demanded, willing her voice not to waver to betray her fear. Men were sly, manipulative creatures, and she would not fall victim to one.

The stranger did the strangest thing: he bowed. He bowed low to the ground, only picking up his head to look at her to answer.

“I am Adrien. At your service, fair goddess.”

Marinette blinked in confusion.

At her service? What did that mean? She otherwise chose to push aside the compliment of her ‘fairness’, for now.

“’At my service?’” she repeated curiously. “Does that mean you’re my servant?”

This ‘Adrien’ rose back into a stance, at first looking mildly puzzled, until he chuckled.

“If you wish me to be so,” he said in a honeyed voice, the words seemingly rolling off his tongue.

It sounded pleasant to her ears, even if he was a man. She decided that she liked his voice.

“How did you know I was a goddess?” she questioned next, her suspicions heightened.

“Because I am a god,” he replied easily with a (kind?) smile. He took a step closer to her, prompting her to scoot back in response. His smile fell for a split second, but he was back to looking cheerful in no time.

Adrien was a god. Marinette’s mother educated her on the names and positions of her fellow gods and goddesses, even though she never met any of them except for Alya.

And Adrien was the name of the…

“You’re the god of misfortune and destruction, and the King of the Underworld!” she declared in a frightened gasp, raising her hand to point at him.

He was here to hurt her, she was sure of it. Either that or drag her down into the Underworld to be eternally tortured in Tartarus.

Adrien raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“Yes, but I’m not here to hurt you.”

“But your cataclysm-”

“-would never be used on you,” he promised.

“Then what do you want?” she demanded, still wary and afraid of this formidable god. She wondered if she made a run for it, back to her cottage, that she could make it without him catching her.

He smiled again, the friendly expression seeming as if he was trying to calm her down. His hands were still in the air as he took a step closer, reminding Marinette of the way she would approach a timid deer who had happened to wander into her meadow. Still, that didn’t stop her from scooting back further in the grass.

“I only want one thing,” he promised softly, probably trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, yet he only succeeded in making her angry.

“I knew it!” she shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Maman told me that all men were only after one thing. I don’t know what that thing is, but you can’t have it all the same!”

Adrien blinked, dumbfounded by the goddess’s new fury. When her answer fully registered in his mind, he couldn’t help but let out a guffaw of laughter. Her innocence was so purely adorable, not to mention he admired that she could have a temper. Somehow, he fell for her even more.

Marinette, meanwhile, was still glaring at him with fiery eyes. How dare this man laugh at her, especially after she had him figured out? It was too bad that he was immortal, because she wanted nothing else in that moment than to choke him with overgrown weeds.

“I-I-” he gasped out, trying to regain his composure. He took a few deep breaths, gradually calming himself down enough before he tried to speak again.

“I don’t want _that_ , Marinette. Well,” he paused, awkwardly running a hand along the back of his neck. “Not now, anyway. I meant that I want your acceptance.”

Her shoulders lowered from their defensive, hunched position as she regarded him cautiously.

“My acceptance? To what?”

“To me,” he replied, flashing her a tiny grin. “To my presence, my friendship, and maybe eventually something more, if you so wish.”

Marinette remained sitting, frozen in her wavering apprehension of him. He wanted to be friends with her? And then something more in the future, whatever that might mean. Wait, could he mean…more like in terms of love? Like with her parents? And Alya and Nino?

Something suddenly flipped in her stomach at the prospect. Was she becoming ill? Could gods even get sick?

He said _maybe_ , and that it was up to her, so she wouldn’t have to decide yet. For now, she settled on contemplating a possible friendship with this man.

Oh, that’s right. How could she forget-albeit briefly-about that little detail? Adrien was still a man, one of the vile, deceitful, cunning creatures her mother warned her about. All of them were horrible, save for her father.

“And why should I trust you?” She raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his true motives. “You’re a man.”

“I am,” he confirmed.

“My maman told me to never trust a man.”

He faltered a bit, tearing his gaze away from her to stare at the grass below him. He jutted out his bottom lip as he thought, something that Marinette for some reason found kind of cute. The notion struck her as odd; how could the monsters her mother described appear cute or harmless?

Finally, he raised his eyes back to hers, a new determination shining in those smaragdine depths. “Are you a child?”

Marinette looked affronted by the simple query. “No!”

“Are you old enough to have your own opinions?”

“Yes!” she snapped, incensed by these inane questions. She was obviously not a child anymore, and at that she was certainly old enough to have her own opinions!

“Then why don’t you determine for yourself if I am to be trusted? Ignore what your mother has told you for now and make your own decision. If you still don’t think I should be trusted, then I’ll leave you alone forever.”

Marinette’s features were wiped clean of her earlier anger. That was a bold thing to say, indeed. All she had to do was say the word and he would leave her alone? His fate was, to say, in her hands.

She looked him down from head to toe, then back up again for good measure. His posture was straight, yet relaxed. Not at all taut, like how one’s stance would be when planning an attack. So far, he had done nothing to harm her. He didn’t even threaten her in any way. He was quite pleasant, polite, and respecting of her space. Not to mention his appearance, like his facial features, were quite pleasing, as well.

She rather liked his evergreen eyes, and those tufts of sunshine hair. She wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Maybe if she befriended him she could find out one day. His voice was also nice to listen to, somehow deep yet light at the same time. She wanted to hear him talk more. He could go on to list all the different flowers in the world, something she knew by heart, yet she was positive that she would never tire of listening to him.

Overall, Adrien seemed to be nice, for a man. Maybe he was different from the rest. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance, would it?

If it did, she could always tie him up with overgrown weeds and ensure he would never try to hurt her again.

“Alright,” she decided, the corners of her mouth beginning to curve up. “We can be friends, Adrien. I don’t think you’re all that bad, and I’m sure Maman won’t either-”

Faster than she could comprehend, Adrien took the few hastened steps needed to be directly in front of her, crouching down so he could be eye-level with her. Marinette couldn’t help but reel back, startled and confused as to why he looked panicked and rapidly moved closer to her. All she did was mention her mother…?

“You mustn’t tell your mother about me,” he gravely warned. “If you do, I won’t be able to see you anymore.”

“But why?” she asked, her stomach twisting into knots at his words. “I tell my maman everything.” She couldn’t lie to her maman, to the woman who raised her and kept her safe. If she found out, she would be devastated that her daughter kept a secret such as this from her.

“Because I have a feeling that your mother won’t be so accepting of you being friends with me,” he replied solemnly, his eyes pleading with her to heed his warning. “She’ll make sure we can never see each other again if she finds out.”

Already his mind was beginning to conjure up consequences should Sabine know. She could take Marinette away to the other side of the Earth where he could never find her, or she could forever make her invisible and silent, so no one could ever see or hear her. He once heard a rumor of a woman being turned into a tree, so she could escape a god who was aggressively lusting after her. Granted, he wasn’t chasing after Marinette and acting so strongly on his feelings, but Sabine could very well turn Marinette into a tree anyway, just so he couldn’t have her.

As far as he knew, that kind of change was irreversible.

He didn’t have any fear of what Sabine might do to _him_. He was the god of destruction. She was merely the goddess of the harvest. She held impressive powers, but he was one of the strongest of all the gods. Not to mention that Fu would probably be pretty mad if something happened to the King of the Underworld. No, his concern was solely for the innocent goddess before him.

“Do you wish to see me again, Marinette?”

She slowly nodded.

“Then you mustn’t let your mother know about me,” he answered, in a way that she knew brokered no argument or compromise. “Please, please promise me that you will not tell her.”

Marinette bit her bottom lip, utterly torn as to what to do. She had never kept a secret from her mother, nor had she ever lied to her. To not tell her that she was meeting with a _man_ , the very thing her mother despised save for her father, was…well, it was big. Big, and serious, and she would most definitely suffer severe consequences should her mother discover it.

She briefly considered trying to persuade Adrien that maybe they could just talk to her mother, before reminding herself that her mother was very stubborn and would likely cast him out of the cottage before he even had the chance to say hello.

She could tell Adrien at that very instant to leave her and never try to see her again. She could continue being her mother’s sweet, truthful, innocent daughter.

But she liked Adrien. She wanted to see him more, that of which she was certain.

Besides, like she told him earlier, she wasn’t a child anymore. She was a woman, who could make her own decisions. And she wanted to continue seeing Adrien. For once, she didn’t want to be perfectly innocent.

With that in mind, she smiled, her eyes taking on a resolute glint.

“I promise I won’t tell.”

He mirrored her expression, settling down next to her on the grass.

“Thank you, Marinette.”

She frowned, her anxiety returning in full force, the confidence she held just moments ago rapidly depleting.

“Are you sure we have to keep this from her? What if she finds out?”

Adrien reached out his hand, his fingers hovering above her own. He shifted his eyes from her own, back to their hands, trying to gauge any negative reaction to his unspoken question. When he detected no hints of rejection, he lightly placed his hand atop hers.

Marinette stared down at their touching hands in disbelief. His hand felt just as warm as her own. She expected men to be cold-blooded (although in Adrien’s case, she supposed he would’ve been cold- _ichored)_ , and cruel, like all the other monsters out there. The only difference was that his hand was larger and felt just a bit rougher compared to hers.

She raised her head to meet his green gaze, strangely feeling unable to look away.

“She won’t know if we’re careful. But if you don’t want to be friends, I’ll understand. I’ll just-”

He stopped when he noticed Marinette tense up, her vision going right through him as she stared at something unseen to him.

He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, when she abruptly removed her hand from under his and stood up, grabbing onto him to pull him up with her.

“You have to go!” she hissed, starting to push him away, back toward the edge of the forest.

Adrien’s face fell, disappointed that she changed her mind about him. His heart felt like it broke in half, despite only knowing her for a few minutes.

“Alright,” he mumbled, not able to hide his dismay. He would honor her wishes for separation between them; he wouldn’t force his company on her. “I understand. I’ll never try to see you again.”

“No!” Marinette growled as she shook her head, now increasing her pressure in pushing him away. “My mother’s coming! You have to leave, right now!”

He blinked, stupefied, only partially processing her words.

“Does that mean-?”

“ _Yes_ , I still want to see you! Come here tomorrow at noon, she’ll be away to tend to the farmlands by then. Now get out of here before she sees you!”

That’s when his brain finally caught up with him. Taking a quick look at the sky to see if Sabine was visible (she wasn’t), he quickly took Marinette’s hand and gave it a chaste kiss in parting before breaking off into a sprint toward the woods.

For some reason, the young goddess felt her cheeks flame and a ladybug’s wings beat in her stomach.

At the edge of the forest, Adrien paused. Marinette worriedly wondered why he was stalling, when he turned around and dipped into a low, chivalrous bow. With a final grin directed to her, he turned and fled back into the forest.

Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief, exactly at the moment her mother appeared in front of her, gently lowering herself to the ground. She tried her best to slow her racing heart by taking deep, indiscernible breaths.

That was way too close.

“My darling,” Sabine cooed, immediately wrapping her arms around her daughter in a warm embrace. “Did you have a nice day?”

“Yes, Maman,” she replied lightly as if nothing was amiss. “I put some flower petals in my skirt again. I think it’s one of my best designs yet.”

Sabine pulled back to admire Marinette’s latest creative handiwork, and as usual, it was simply divine.

“You’re so wonderful, sweetheart,” she praised, planting a kiss to the crown of her daughter’s hair. “So talented. I will never tire of seeing your lovely work.”

“Thank you, Maman,” she said, looking up to meet her mother’s loving gaze. “How was your day?”

Sabine bent down to lightly kiss Marinette’s forehead before she answered, pulling away and starting to walk to the cottage. As always, her daughter dutifully followed right by her side.

“I would have to say it was very prosperous, my little flower. The crops are all healthy; the ones that weren’t were promptly cured. The mortals are well-fed, and there is plenty of food to spare. Overall, France is in a good place, my dearest.”

“I’m happy to hear it so,” Marinette spoke, taking joy in her mother’s success. “You’re doing a wonderful job.”

“As are you,” Sabine returned, offering her daughter a warm smile. “The ways you contribute to nature is simply miraculous. All the flowers you create, the good fortune and warmth that shines from you… The mortals appreciate it, indeed.”

As the cottage loomed closer, Marinette felt the guilt instantly hit her, causing her stomach to churn. She was a horrible daughter, keeping the knowledge of her new friendship with Adrien from her mother like this.

Adrien was so kind and personable. Sabine just _had_ to like him, even though he was a man. She should tell her. Right now. She should just open her mouth and say-

_“You mustn’t tell your mother about me. If you do, I won’t be able to see you anymore.”_

Marinette faltered as Adrien’s warning echoed in her mind.

He had seemed so sure of his words, that he really wouldn’t be able to see her anymore if her mother knew of her friendship with him. But would her mother really do that? Would she take her away from him? Do something so she could never see him again? Could her mother really be that cruel?

Adrien apparently thought so.

Besides, she already promised him that she wouldn’t tell. Promises were sacred to Marinette; she could never possibly break one. She would just have to keep silent on the matter, she supposed.

“Corette? Are you alright?”

She snapped out of her stupor, quick to answer lest her mother should worry and suspect something was wrong.

“I’m alright, Maman. Just daydreaming, again.”

Sabine fondly shook her head as she was reaching to open the cottage door.

“I fear you shall never outgrow of that, always having your head in the clouds,” she teased, ruffling her daughter’s dark locks. Marinette smiled upon instinct of the loving gesture and entered the cottage right behind Sabine.

“So, what would you like for supper? How does tartiflette sound?” Sabine asked with a knowing smile, well aware that her daughter loved that particular dish.

“Yes, please!” Marinette exclaimed, already moving about the modest kitchen for the ingredients. Sabine giggled quietly to herself and went to help her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Persephone was also called ‘Kore’, meaning ‘maiden’, Sabine will refer to Marinette as ‘Corette’, which is a French name meaning ‘little maiden’. Sabine prefers this name for her child since she wants Marinette to remain a maiden forever. However, Marinette’s given name and accepted by the rest of the gods is Marinette.
> 
> Moreover, since Marinette was sheltered so much, she is going to be naïve when it comes to some things…
> 
> The rumor that Adrien mentioned, of a girl being turned into a tree, was a reference to the myth of Apollo and Daphne. 
> 
> Ichor: the golden blood of the ancient Greek gods


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been hating how this chapter has been literally sitting in my files for months, ready to be posted. I haven't done so because I'm nowhere near ready to continue with the rest of the story, but I really wanted to post something on Christmas and this was the only thing I had finished so... 
> 
> In the words of Spongebob, well, here you go! I hope you enjoy chapter 2 and had a good holiday :)

Adrien returned to the Underworld that evening with a smile and a bounce in his step. Happiness and life practically exuded from his being, something that which would probably be considered strange for a god who ruled over the dead souls of mortals.

Despite his role in life…er, _death_ , most oftentimes he could be seen with a small, friendly smile as he wandered the vast halls of his kingdom. However, it never took on a sort of dazed quality, as if his head was lost in the clouds of Mount Miraculous, leaving him oblivious to his true surroundings, like how it was now.

It was only Plagg’s irritated hiss accompanied with his head butting into Adrien’s stomach that brought the god back to reality.

He blinked and looked about, turning back once to look at the darkened staircase leading outside, wondering how he made it back to the Underworld so quickly. He could hardly recall making the trek in the first place. His thoughts had been filled with nothing but sparkling blue eyes, silky black hair, perfect lips and rosy cheeks…

Plagg repeated the indignant hiss and this time butted Adrien so hard he nearly lost his balance.

“Oh, sorry Plagg,” Adrien apologized sheepishly, an uncharacteristic blush lighting his cheeks. The large, black cat only leaned his head forward and sniffed him, before pulling back with narrowed eyes.

Adrien’s eyebrows drew down, not understanding what he was looking for. Usually he only acted that way when he wanted-

“Ah!” Adrien cried out in recognition, as he closed his eyes and slapped his forehead. “I’m so sorry, Plagg. I completely forgot about the camembert.”

The giant cat let out a long, drawn out mewl of despair. He promptly flopped onto his back, consequently making the ground tremble, and shook his head back and forth as though he was in agony.

Adrien shook his head at the melodramatics, rolling his eyes as he did so. _This_ was the supposed fearsome guard of the Underworld, with sharp fangs and claws ready to attack any intruder?

“You’re going to live, Plagg. You’re immortal, remember?”

Another cry emitted from the feline’s mouth. His tail thumped on the ground, and while it didn’t have as much force as his body slamming down, the loose pebbles still shook.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien repeated in exasperation whilst running a hand through his hair. “I promise, when I go up again tomorrow, I’ll get you a hundred wheels of the smelly stuff. How’s that?”

At this, Plagg stilled. Slowly, he got up into a sitting position. His head tilted, scrutinizing his master with a look of suspicion. Adrien hardly left the Underworld at all, so Plagg was really counting on eating the camembert that Adrien promised he would return with today.

Furthermore, Adrien never went out two days in a row. By this logic, the god had to be lying.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Adrien started, staring hard at his long-time companion. “And I’m not lying to you. I’m going back up again tomorrow, I swear it.”

“Mmrow?” Plagg mewled, hoping Adrien would understand his question. Although, in his defense, it had to be obvious.

“You’re wondering why I’m going up two days in a row, right?” he guessed. Plagg nodded, and it wasn’t the first time that Adrien marveled at how human-like the cat could prove to be sometimes.

A corner of the god’s lips turned up in a lopsided smile as he reached out to affectionately rub the oversized cat’s head, his hand practically disappearing under the thick, black fur. His fingers curled and he began to lightly scratch, eliciting a purr from the feline who arched his head closer to Adrien’s masterful fingers.

Adrien’s eyes lidded as he looked on lovingly at his pet.

Abruptly, his heart accelerated in beats, as his mind conjured up the image of Marinette in his place, doing the exact same thing. But would Plagg like Marinette’s attentions as much as Adrien’s?

Would Marinette even like Plagg at all? Or vice-versa?

He _did_ look threatening, as the lone guardian of the Underworld should. But with some camembert and a head scratch, Plagg would be putty in anyone’s hands. Good thing the mortals had no idea about that advantageous detail.

Still, would Marinette be afraid of the loveable, yet oftentimes grumpy, creature? Could she even stand being in such a dark place to begin with?

Then again, he only just met her today. He could worry about those kinds of concerns later.

“I met a goddess today,” he spoke softly, his thoughts going back to his time spent in the meadow not even an hour ago. Was this how Nino felt when he first laid eyes on Alya? Or his father when he first gazed upon his mother?

“She was…beautiful, Plagg.” His fingers stilled in his love-induced trance, so the cat was quick to rub against his hand, trying to spur him back to action. Adrien grinned, a short huff of amusement leaving his nose as he shortly rectified the problem.

“She had a fiery temper, too, and didn’t trust me at all.” He sighed, smiling as his fingers worked and Plagg purred. “But somehow I was able to convince her to give me a chance, despite facing years of her mother’s teachings that all men are horrible.”

Plagg peered up at his master in curiosity quite fitting for a cat. He had heard of the idea of love from the dead souls on their way to receive judgement. He surmised it to be a powerful emotion, so much so that he often saw the souls cry over it. All too often he would hear the lonely anguish of the men and women over their spouses or lovers who were still alive.

Thus, Plagg concluded that love was dangerous and detrimental to one’s soul.

Was it possible that even his master could fall victim to its pull?

“She granted me permission to see her again, which is why I’m going back up tomorrow,” Adrien continued, blissfully unaware of Plagg’s growing unrest. “Hopefully, over time, she’ll care for me as I do for her. Who knows, maybe the Underworld will one day have a queen to light its darkness.”

A queen? Plagg noticed Adrien’s eyes light with a new kind of spark. He knew that his master was already considering the idea.

Most of the time Plagg acted like he didn’t care about anything other than intruders and cheese, but it was entirely the opposite. Well, almost. Adrien was just at the top of the list of things he cared about, not that he ever let it show. Except now, as he mewled worriedly and tilted his head, locking eyes with Adrien as he mentally begged for him to resist love’s allure. He didn’t want him to end up like those desolate souls that came into the Underworld, moaning in despair over their absent loved ones.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Adrien asked with a chuckle. He smirked and playfully disheveled the thick fur on Plagg’s head. “Are you worried that my having a queen would distract me enough that I would forget to bring you cheese?”

Plagg laid down, paws under his chin as he stared despondently at the floor.

His master didn’t understand.

“Don’t worry,” Adrien reassured with a teasing grin, bending down to ruffle his fur some more. “I would never forget to bring you camembert. Er, after today, that is. You wouldn’t let me even if I tried.”

Air sharply left Plagg’s nostrils in amusement. Adrien smiled and rubbed under the cat’s chin, the feline preening into his touch as he did so.

“I could never forget about you, buddy. Besides, having a queen would mean having two sources of camembert at your disposal. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Plagg arched his neck back to give Adrien better access. Perhaps his master being in love wouldn’t be so bad. He doubted that Adrien and this mystery goddess would ever be separated, considering that she had to be immortal, just like he was.

A king and queen never separated, so Adrien would never know love’s pain. He would be fine.

Therefore, leaving Plagg with all the camembert he desired.

…

Contrary to what many other gods may think, living in the Underworld wasn’t so bad. Sure, it was a little dark, a little gloomy, and full of dead people…but they could get used to it in time. Adrien did as he grew up, and later on along with Felix and Juleka.

Felix was the god of death, essentially the personification of it. His purpose was to go to the above world and claim the souls of mortals whose time it was to die. How Felix determined when someone who wasn’t already poisoned, injured, or sick, was ready to pass on, Adrien didn’t know and never asked. Felix was a god who mostly kept to himself, rarely venturing out of his space of the Underworld unless it was to collect more souls.

Adrien didn’t really hold it against him. All he had to do was judge the souls; there was no need to interfere with Felix’s work. If he wanted to talk, then Adrien would oblige. If not, he’d keep his distance.

Felix moved to the Underworld when Adrien was younger, about 11 in god years. It was during the time his father Gabriel was still king. From what he could remember, Felix pleaded his case for staying in their kingdom because he had no more desire to stay on Mount Miraculous with the other gods and goddesses. He was tired of them and wanted more time devoted to himself. He figured the Underworld would be perfect; it was expansive enough, and he was less likely to be cornered by an overly friendly god who wanted to chat.

Gabriel, along with his wife (and Adrien’s mother) Emilie, ended up allowing Felix to live there in his own secluded space. Adrien remembered being told not to disturb Felix, and to never speak with him unless spoken to first, which was hardly ever.

When Adrien grew up and eventually inherited the throne, he was faced with one of his first major decisions.

Go back on his father’s will and cast Felix out? Or let him stay?

For Adrien, the answer was obvious. Felix wasn’t a malevolent god and he never tried to hurt Adrien or his family. He simply wanted to keep to himself. As a result, he allowed Felix to stay.

Juleka’s being in the Underworld happened in a similar manner.

Juleka was the goddess of magic. Like Felix, she was quiet and normally wished to keep to herself. However, unlike Felix, she came to the Underworld long into Adrien’s reign. She pleaded her own case to him, requesting to stay in the Underworld so that she may live and work in peace.

Adrien never knew her to be a treacherous goddess; there was never a bad rumor about her that reached his ears. Well, except for one from Chloe, who insisted she was a ‘freak’ because she preferred solitude and didn’t wear the bright colors that every other goddess wore.

Fortunately for Juleka, he didn’t deem that as enough logical reason to turn her away.

She received her own section of the Underworld, free to wander or linger as she wished. She did leave much more often than Felix did. Most oftentimes when Adrien saw her, she was walking along the halls, bright torch in hand to light her way. Sometimes when they saw each other they would talk, about the souls, about their own interests, a little bit of everything. She became a confidante for Adrien, someone he could speak important matters to and he wouldn’t have to worry of her telling anyone else.

As such, when he wound up seeing Juleka on his way to his chambers that evening, he wondered if he should share the knowledge of his plan with Marinette. Surely she wouldn’t tell anyone, right?

As if sensing his presence, and knowing Juleka it was very likely she had, the goddess slowly turned around. Suddenly, the light from her torch was shining directly into his eyes, causing Adrien to grimace and squeeze his eyes shut. He looked off to the side and waited until the spots dancing behind his closed lids disappeared before looking at her again.

Juleka mumbled an apology and Adrien was thankful that she had lowered the torch so that it wouldn’t interfere with his vision any longer. He assured her that it was fine, that it was his fault for looking directly into the fire. He knew that she always carried a torch and he always managed to evade sight of the flames whenever they spoke. He just made a novice mistake, something he hadn’t done since she first came to the Underworld.

It seemed that Marinette was affecting him in all sorts of ways.

“Adrien, you’re back,” she murmured with a slight upward tug of her lips. Even with his enhanced hearing Adrien had to take a few steps closer so he wouldn’t have to strain to listen to her. “How was it?”

How was it? The corners of his mouth slowly curled up in remembrance of the day he had.

“It was wonderful,” he replied, his voice taking on a breathless quality.

Juleka tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed just the tiniest bit. It was kind of hard to see with her bangs covering most of her forehead.

“How so?” she mumbled, her tone just flat enough so as not to reveal her curiosity. She had intercepted him a few times when he returned from his trips to the above world, and none of those times did he ever answer her with that dream-like tone.

Adrien opened his mouth to readily answer, before promptly snapping it back shut. His eyes that were previously clouded sharpened with clarity, zeroing in on her own as he seemed to search for something in her neutral gaze. He frowned, and Juleka couldn’t help but compare the look to the one he would possess when judging a rather malignant soul.

Although, she was glad that at least he had _some_ emotion in his eyes. It was honestly frightening when he would adopt that dark, empty look whenever he condemned a soul to Tartarus. Not that he did it all too much, for a soul had to be truly evil to be sentenced there for the rest of their afterlife.

“Juleka, we have been living together for years. I opened my home to you, and you have done nothing for me to suspect that you may betray me in any way possible. Am I right to believe that?”

The sudden shift in atmosphere, from genial to solemn, caused her to shiver for the first time in a millennium. With fear, concern, something else entirely, or a combination of all, she wasn’t certain, even with all of her experience in the world. Just having Adrien’s pensive look aimed at her made her stomach twist in knots.

However, she did know one thing.

“Adrien, you can trust me with anything. You will always have my loyalty and my confidence.”

He nodded, smiling as he heard the words he wanted to hear.

“Thank you.”

Just as quickly as he had allowed himself to display a smile, it was back to the serious frown.

“What I’m about to tell you, you can’t tell _anyone_. Do you understand? No one can ever find out about this, because it would only give _her_ more of a chance to hear of it.”

“Adrien,” she breathed, steeling herself for whatever devastating secret he was about to bestow. “I swear I will not tell anyone whatever it is you want to say, but how bad is this? What did you do?”

At this he closed his eyes, chuckled, and shook his head. Juleka was thrown by his abrupt amusement; how could he have been so somber only moments before and now find something to laugh about?

“To anyone else, it’s actually not that bad what I will be doing. The only one who would have a problem with it would be her mother.”

“Her? _”_ she echoed, thoroughly confused. Who was ‘her’ and who was this mother that he was speaking of?

He smiled broadly. “While in the above world today, I met Marinette.”

“Marinette?” she repeated, lowering her head in thought of that name. Marinette was…

Her body slackened, her hold on the torch loosened to the point where she dropped it on the ground. Without its magical holder, the flame flickered and extinguished.

_Marinette…her mother…problem…what Adrien will be doing…_

As the words continuously repeated in her mind, a dull yet powerful mantra swirling around, all at once it made sense.

But, he wouldn’t! He couldn’t possibly-? No god in their right mind would-!

“I take it you see where I’m going with this?” Adrien guessed with a half-grin.

“Adrien, you don’t-you aren’t-?“ She could barely speak in her shock.

“I am,” he confirmed with a definite nod. “I’m going to see Marinette in secret and try to pursue her, despite the risk of her mother finding out.”

“But _why_?” she demanded, her voice bordering on a shrill yell, something that she had only done a scarce few times. “Adrien, it is not wise to tempt a vengeful goddess. Sabine will-“

“She’ll do nothing to me; she must know that I’m stronger than her. Not only that, but she will surely suffer consequences from Fu should she try something. I’m not worried for myself at all.” His tone was hard, offering no argument. “The only thing I’m worried about is what she’ll do to separate us if she discovers what will be happening.”

“Forgive me, but isn’t that selfish?” Juleka knew it was dangerous to ask such a question to the King of the Underworld, but she had to make her point. “To risk Marinette’s safety as well just so you could eventually bed her?”

Adrien’s eyes narrowed, rage boiling in their green depths. His jaw clenched along with his fists. Up until now, she had never seen him truly angry before. It caused a foreign feeling of fear to fill her stomach.

“I don’t want to court her for only _that_ ,” he hissed lowly. “I’m not vile!”

Juleka’s eyebrows drew down, confused by his claim. During those last few moments his furious stare wasn’t even directed on her. Instead his gaze seemed to be focused somewhere else entirely…

“I-I know you’re not, Adrien. Why did you say that?”

He heaved out a sigh and closed his eyes, shaking his head with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. She noticed the same trait in his father back when she lived on Miraculous whenever he would be frustrated with something.

Adrien turned away from her before he answered.

“Never mind, it’s nothing. I apologize for yelling at you.”

“I forgive you,” Juleka murmured. She did forgive him, but her mind was still swirling with questions.

“What I was trying to say is that I’m not interested in Marinette purely for carnal pleasure. I want to court her, to get to know her and let her know me in return. And hopefully, maybe one day…” He paused, a wistful smile that she had never seen before curling his lips. “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Juleka’s eyes became as wide as saucers. Her lips parted, her mind struggling to comprehend his declaration. If Adrien wanted to marry Marinette, then the goddess of spring would be the Underworld’s new queen. She would rule alongside him, having the same power and authority as he possessed.

How would having a queen impact the Underworld? Moreover, how would it affect _her_? Would Marinette be jealous of another woman living here, even though she and Adrien shared no feelings of love or lust for each other? Would she convince Adrien to banish her? Or if she couldn’t do that, would she shun her? Make cruel jests to her as they passed each other by? Turn her into a plant?

A woman’s jealousy could be nasty, but a goddess’s? It could be deadly.

She didn’t voice those concerns aloud, mostly because of how Adrien would likely defend Marinette with all the strength he had. It was clear how he felt about her despite only knowing her for perhaps an hour or so.

She simply wanted him to be happy. He deserved to love and to have it be returned. If being with Marinette accomplished that, then she was in favor of the relationship, despite the risk of herself being removed from the Underworld in the end.

“Well,” she faltered, forcing a smile to her face. She didn’t want him to suspect her internal doubts. “I wish you all the luck, Adrien.”

She paused, this time a natural smile curved her lips. “Good luck, that is.”

He grinned. Maybe, she thought, just maybe everything would work out in the end.

“Thank you, Juleka.”

* * *

Marinette kept her eyes glued to her plate as she absentmindedly used her fork to push around a piece of her tartiflette. She was fine helping her mother prepare the meal, but now that she was sitting here, alone and with the outside offering no sort of distracting noise, guilty thoughts found the opportunity to plague her mind.

_You’re a terrible daughter._

_You know your mother hates men; why would you see one behind her back like this?_

_Is this how you thank the woman who raised you?_

_She protected you from them for a reason._

_Who are you to doubt your own mother?_

It was eating her alive. But she promised Adrien that she wouldn’t tell anyone about their friendship. She gave her word that she wouldn’t tell, she couldn’t go back now and speak of all that happened.

Too bad it did little to alleviate the weight of the guilt on her shoulders.

Sabine noticed her daughter’s taciturn mood, finding it rather odd for the girl who was always so bubbly and cheerful. Sometimes her Corette would talk for hours about the flowers she made and the designs she weaved, yet tonight she hardly said a word.

“Corette? Is something troubling you, my dear?”

Marinette shook her head, but managed pick up it up to meet her eyes. Her lips wobbled into an awkward grin that she hoped looked anything but fake.

“No, nothing is troubling me, Maman. I’m fine.”

Sabine fixed her with an inquiring look, implying that she didn’t at all believe her daughter’s reassurance. But it wasn’t as though she could force the true reason out of her, and so she returned to eating her dinner. Her daughter was growing older, maybe this was one of those mood shifts young people of her age go through?

She chanced a look at her daughter once more. Yes, she was growing older, and more beautiful by the day. If she let her live on Miraculous, she didn’t doubt that a swarm of gods would crowd around her Corette at every waking moment. Unfortunately, in her naivety she would likely succumb to at least one of their charms and surrender to them completely.

And then they would never want anything to do with her again. They would have a taste of her and be quenched until the next pretty goddess or mortal appeared. Sabine had seen it happen all too many times; she couldn’t bear for her sweet Corette to be treated as such.

Therefore, this was why no god shall ever have her. Her Corette will stay her little maiden until her dying breath, which given her immortal status, will likely never occur.

“Maman?”

Sabine flinched, a bit startled by her daughter’s sudden calling. She blinked and shifted her attention to her, being sure to flash a warm smile. “Yes, sweetness?”

Marinette worried her bottom lip between her teeth, eyes lowering to the table. Sabine’s eyebrows furrowed; why was her daughter suddenly appearing so nervous? Why would she ever feel nervous around her own mother?

“Corette, are you sure you’re alright?”

Marinette appeared to swallow whatever it was that was holding her back, before she cleared her throat and spoke in a quiet voice, “Maman, why do you hate men so much?”

Sabine sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead.

“We’ve already discussed this, Corette. You know what kind of monsters they are. Why are you bringing this up again?”

Marinette looked back down at her plate, biting her lower lip again and twisting her fingers together. “I know, but there has to be some that are different, right?” She peered up at her mother for confirmation. “Right? Papa is different, why can’t anyone else be so, too?”

“Darling,” she spoke, the endearment sounding tired and strained. She had talked about this with her well over a hundred times already. But Marinette was still so hopeful of the possible good in men. She shouldn’t feel that way by this point in her life.

“Your Papa is the only one who is different. All the others are cold and cruel, no matter who they are. I’ve seen them before, my little flower. They will do anything to get what they want and don’t care who they hurt in the process. Sometimes they hurt for their own simple, terrible pleasure. With men there is no love, only lust.”

Marinette tilted her head to one side, her eyes dulling with confusion.

“What’s lust?” she inquired, her voice sounding perfectly innocent in spite of the suggestive word she was saying. Sabine shook her head, a small smile beginning to grace her features.

“It’s nothing you ever need to worry about. Come, let’s finish our dinner and later I can tell you more stories of tending the crops. Okay?”

Marinette nodded in defeat, mumbling an ‘okay’ before she continued eating. Sabine sighed and resumed eating as well, hoping that her daughter would be content with that answer from now on. She honestly didn’t know how else to convince her that men were dangerous and shouldn’t be interacted with.

Meanwhile, Marinette was thinking of how best to approach Adrien with her question tomorrow. He was her friend now, so he would surely tell her the answer.

…

The next morning, Marinette was awakened by a beautiful, chirping song sung by an equally lovely rosefinch perched on her bedroom windowsill. But no matter how the lilting melody sounded, it wasn’t enough for her to physically get out of her bed.

“Not yet, Tikki,” she mumbled without opening her eyes. With a weary sigh she buried her face deeper into the plush pillow beneath her, hoping the songbird wouldn’t make any more noise to wake her further.

Unfortunately, Tikki had other plans. Her head tilted to one side, as though she was trying to figure out a solution for this problem. Finally, with a quick flutter of her wings, she flew down to the slumbering goddess and set herself right next to her ear. With a deep inhale, she belted out a new brilliant harmony, certain that this would wake her.

Marinette instantly bolted upright, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. With a wince, she brought a hand up to rub along her ear, before levelling a glare to the bird she swore had a smug gleam in its eyes.

“Tikki,” she chastised, lowering her hand so the bird could hop onto it. She obeyed, and Marinette raised her so they were eye-level with each other. With a stern frown on her lips, she reprimanded the red and black bird for waking her so harshly.

Tikki, for the most part, didn’t appear too bothered by the scolding. Marinette had a good guess as to why she wouldn’t be. Years ago, when Tikki first landed in the meadow and sang her song for the goddess, she was instantly enchanted with the bird’s talent. She approached the rosefinch, spoke to it, stroked its feathers, and soon the duo became an unlikely pair of friends. She grew so attached, that she named the bird and begged her mother to make it immortal so that it would never die.

Sabine could easily tell her daughter adored the little creature and would be utterly heartbroken when the bird would eventually die. Thus, she granted her request, and persuaded Fu to give her nectar to make the rosefinch immortal. Marinette and Tikki have been together ever since.

“Oh!” Marinette suddenly gasped, remembering how Tikki was entirely absent during the previous day’s events. “You’ll never guess what happened yesterday, Tikki. I-” She abruptly stopped, well aware that her mother might be in the next room and able to hear everything she was about to say.

“Wait here, Tikki. I’ll be right back.”

She hurriedly climbed out of her bed and rushed to her door, only taking her time to crack it open and poke her head out to look around. Nothing worthy of suspicion reached her ears, and as she peered around it seemed her mother was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she had another early day? She fully stepped out into the little sitting room and walked around, searching for a note that would prove her intuition to be true.

It wasn’t long after that she indeed saw a note, in short saying that her mother left earlier but that she would be home in time for dinner. For the first time in quite possibly her whole immortal life, Marinette was thankful her mother was nowhere around.

With a beaming smile, she grabbed the note and ran back into her room, effectively frightening the bird left waiting for her. Marinette was too lost in her excitement and relief to bother with Tikki’s startled squawking and flapping wings.

“Maman’s not here, so I can tell you what happened,” she exclaimed, bouncing down onto the bed. Tikki let out a bewildered chirp from the bed’s sudden movements, but Marinette wasn’t deterred by this at all. Nothing could distract her in this moment.

“I met a god yesterday, Tikki. A nice one, too! Or,” she faltered, glancing away, “he seemed nice. But I’m sure he really is. His name’s Adrien and we’re friends, and we’re going to meet with each other all the time whenever Maman is gone. It’s kind of scary since she can find out, but it’s thrilling too!” Marinette wiggled in her spot on the bed in her euphoria. “He made me promise not to tell anyone about it since Maman could find out, but you can’t talk, so my secret is safe with you.”

The light in her eyes dimmed, a reflection of her self-doubt.

“I mean, it’s okay to meet with him, right? He’s nice, but Maman would never approve of him anyway. I should continue being friends with him, right?”

Tikki tilted her head and belted out a few sharp chirps.

She sighed. “Yes, I know I could get in trouble for it, but I want to risk it. Is this wrong? I’ve only known him for not even a full day, yet I’m disobeying my mother to see him. Do you think I should be meeting with him?”

The bird let out another two chirps in response.

“Well, I mean, I _want_ to see him,” she admitted hesitantly, looking off to the side. “And that’s all that matters, right? I want to, so I should. I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” That rare spark of determination flared in her eyes. “Okay, it’s final. I _will_ continue my meetings with Adrien, no matter what my mother would think. Thank you for the advice, Tikki!”

The bird simply tweeted another, rather short, beautiful melody.

“Now, I better get ready since he’ll probably be here soon. I want to know what lust means and I bet he knows the answer!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing in a Disney's Hercules reference ;)
> 
> Plagg is based on Cerberus, while Felix is based on Thanatos and Juleka is based on Hecate.
> 
> Also, the part when Juleka was worrying about how Marinette would treat her and mentioned turning her into a plant, was a reference to Minthe.


End file.
